Laptop stuck in "CRITICAL SERVICE FAILED" BSOD loop after latest Windows 10 update - can't get into safe mode

[Strike2223344]

When I press the power button, I get the Toshiba logo, the Windows logo, and then a BSOD. The BSOD says the computer needs to restart, and the loop continues.

To fix it, I'm trying to get to safe mode and perform a system restore. I can access the BIOS with F12, but none of the other F keys (including F4 [what Toshiba says to use] and F8) allow me to boot in safe mode. When they're pressed, either nothing happens or the computer begins beeping.

I've also tried booting into the recovery environment (power on/power off three times).

Other info:

• 
  Laptop is approx 6-7 years old, was working fine (albeit slowly) before this happened.
  No new devices/drivers installed recently.
  I believe Windows just updated before this began happening.
  I haven't done anything to the HDD.
  Fast boot in the BIOS is turned off.

 

[Colif]

They turned off F8's function by default in win 10, that is why you can't get to safe mode. It was done for security reasons. Yes, it is a pain.. it can be re enabled but not without windows loading as far as the login screen

You don't need safe mode to run system restore.

Did you get into windows recovery? Easiest way is to use a win 10 installer
On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB (if you don't have one already)
change boot order so USB is first, hdd second
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose system restore
choose a date
PC restarts and rolls its settings back to date chosen (hopefully fixes error)

If you can get back into desktop, I would run this after
right click start button
choose powershell (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth and press enter
SFC fixes system files, second command cleans image files, re run SFC if it failed to fix all files and restart PC

 

[Strike2223344]

They turned off F8's function by default in win 10, that is why you can't get to safe mode. It was done for security reasons. Yes, it is a pain.. it can be re enabled but not without windows loading as far as the login screen

You don't need safe mode to run system restore.

Did you get into windows recovery? Easiest way is to use a win 10 installer
On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB (if you don't have one already)
change boot order so USB is first, hdd second
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose system restore
choose a date
PC restarts and rolls its settings back to date chosen (hopefully fixes error)

If you can get back into desktop, I would run this after
right click start button
choose powershell (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth and press enter
SFC fixes system files, second command cleans image files, re run SFC if it failed to fix all files and restart PC

Thanks for that.

I just tried doing this with a repair USB stick made on another PC.

Apparently there are no system restore points available. Trying to boot into safe mode with bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal resulted in the same BSOD. Startup repair didn't work, and it said there was an error when trying to revert to a previous version of Windows. There was no option to reset Windows.

I'm going to try an installation USB stick (not a repair stick) now and see if this allows me to reset Windows but keep files on the PC. If this doesn't work, what other options do I have?

 

[Colif]

reset should be in the troubleshoot menu (it is only other option there apart from Advanced) of windows recovery.

You can save anything off Laptop by doing this
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type Notepad and press enter
in notepad, go to file> open and Explorer should open
Copy everything onto external hdd or USB if you have to rescue stuff you don't want to lose.

You may need to clean install, its hard to know without the name of the file that is missing. There are some that will just stop windows dead at startup, such as csrss.exe or winload.exe, If either of them fail, windows can't even start.

 

[Strike2223344]

reset should be in the troubleshoot menu (it is only other option there apart from Advanced) of windows recovery.

You can save anything off Laptop by doing this
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type Notepad and press enter
in notepad, go to file> open and Explorer should open
Copy everything onto external hdd or USB if you have to rescue stuff you don't want to lose.

You may need to clean install, its hard to know without the name of the file that is missing. There are some that will just stop windows dead at startup, such as csrss.exe or winload.exe, If either of them fail, windows can't even start.

I had a look with Notepad but using that file explorer to save stuff is pretty annoying. I'd have to manually copy/paste each document and navigate to the removable drive, CTRL+A doesn't work. If possible, I'd like to just reset Windows but keep the files on the PC.

With the install USB, I get a dialog box asking if I want to upgrade "It looks like you started an upgrade and booted from installation media..." - click yes to upgrade or click no to reinstall windows:

I didn't want to click no in case it wiped the HDD. So pressing escape takes us to language screen, then you have two options "repair your PC" or "install".

After clicking repair your PC, I see this:

Clicking troubleshoot brings up this:

Where's the option to reset? I must be missing it. Do I need to click "no" when the dialog box pops up?

 

[Colif]

I hate that error in picture 1, makes me wonder if your problem arose from windows 10 trying to update your current version of win 10. Only way I have found to get past that error is to go into command prompt and run diskpart to wipe hdd and get past that error.

Have you tried Go back to previous version? As if it was a version update thats gone bad, it should have the previous version still to roll back to.

Pic 2: I did say "should" be in troubleshoot menu. I had hoped.

I don't expect you can remove hdd and attach it to another PC to copy info off? Faster than that USB method.


Try booting into command prompt and typing SFC /scannow and press enter. It probably won't work but worth a try, might fix the BSOD.

 

[Strike2223344]

I hate that error in picture 1, makes me wonder if your problem arose from windows 10 trying to update your current version of win 10. Only way I have found to get past that error is to go into command prompt and run diskpart to wipe hdd and get past that error.

Have you tried Go back to previous version? As if it was a version update thats gone bad, it should have the previous version still to roll back to.

Pic 2: I did say "should" be in troubleshoot menu. I had hoped.

I don't expect you can remove hdd and attach it to another PC to copy info off? Faster than that USB method.


Try booting into command prompt and typing SFC /scannow and press enter. It probably won't work but worth a try, might fix the BSOD.

Regarding rolling back to previous Win10 version, yeah I've tried that. It gave some generic-looking error.

I'll try SFC /scannow in a bit. If I take the HDD out, can I simply put it into another Toshiba laptop running Win10 without any issues? That's not something I've ever done before, so I was just wondering how that works. Wouldn't I face the same issues on another PC if it's the actual installation of Windows that's corrupt? I don't have a desktop or anything really capable of running two HDDs at the moment - just another laptop.

 

[Peter Martin]

Clean install. Nuke partitions and have windows reformat the disk

 

[Colif]

Laptop option doesn't help, you can't boot from drive, I was hoping you could put in desktop as 2nd drive so that the 2nd PC boots off its normal drive and you can copy data off laptop drive onto it for short term storage.

On the menu after you hit escape and it offered 2 choices, repair PC or install, what happens if you click install?